December 2011- over halfway there!

[sevendwarves]

Welcome to the new thread ladies!

11 weeks!! No it can't be...

Considering we currently have nowhere for baby to sleep, nothing to cart it around in, nothing to feed it with if breastfeeding doesn't work out and nothing for it to wear except some very adorable handknits and 7 short sleeve vests...I'd say we have some work to do. DH wants to wait until half term to get everything (last week of Oct) but that seems like tempting fate...

Hey Ladies.

Sorry the baby show wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

11 weeks I will be considered full term in 13weeks OMG!! Thankfully we have everything ready except a breast pump.

Is anyone else suffering with swollen feet & ankles?

ps i've added a photo of me & DP at BIL wedding at the weekend - don't look to bad (except for fat legs, Feet & Ankles) at 24weeks pregnant :)

Not bad at all darcies :) Lovely pic!

Tyelperion if it's any consolation I had a really rough week or so last week. Day 1: Massive swollen legs, Day 2: intense tummy pain, Days 3-4: pelvic girdle pain, Day 6 or so: shooting pains resembling sciatica... I thought that it would continue and that the rest of the pregnancy was going to be awful. But now I feel fine. I've had 2 good days. (the odd slight twinge like the sciatica, and crap sleep aside). The rest of the pregnancy will be great. (positive thinking!)

Have had a productive afternoon. mamas and papas do a price match promise, so I have researched the pram I want online and the accessories, I have printed it all out. Everywhere else has immediate delivery, Mamas and papas quote 6 - 8 weeks... that's got to be worth a further 5% discount and free delivery (like on the order they have for my nursery furniture). I'm going to go and talk to the manager of the trafford centre shop now and state my case. Wish me luck! (I should save over £260 if I get what I want!)

OiMissus Good luck and thanks :)

swollen ankles are driving me crazy my ankles hurt a little bit too :(

Good luck oimissus.

tyelperion sorry to hear you're feeling so rubbish, I'm not sure about the terms under which your work can make you take early maternity leave, hopefully someone more helpful will know though.

12 weeks til I'm full term, scary stuff!

Thankfully my ankles aren't swollen, they were massive last time but I just assumed it was down to the pre-eclampsia. I can't remember how many weeks I was when I got them though. It must be awful if they're massive in the winter, with DS flip-flops were the only shoes that I could fit my feet into, thankfully it was June!

Seven I won't be xmas shopping till I go on mat leave at 36weeks. Not looking forward to it tbh! Although have started making a list of what I need to buy people.

I am managing to avoid Christmas shopping more or less, except for my husband, as not going home. Even if I was, we have stopped getting presents for the whole family. Instead we do kris kindle so we all only buy for one person with a limit of £50. It means everyone gets one present from one other person. It works really well. Obviously my nieces are not included in that (!) but they don't get presents at Christmas from aunts and uncles, only from Santa Clause, their own parents and their grandparents (we do get them birthday presents though but I have so many siblings we decided not to get into the Christmas present thing with nieces/nephews). We started doing this several years ago when Mum was getting really stressed trying to think of things people would like for Christmas presents (large family) and we decided it wasn't worth the stress and I think it's soooo great! We still get to have the sitting around after breakfast opening presents but it doesn't take all day as only one each, and everyone avoids a) stress and b) too much expense. As I am not going home this year, we don't take part in the kris kindle (we go to home every other year, so one year at mine then one year at my husbands but this year we are just staying at home the two of us, given that baby is due Christmas Day!) so I basically have no pressies to buy. Yay! I am so glad not to have to worry about Christmas presents on top of baby paraphernalia.

I haven't got too swollen ankles, only a bit, but honestly I feel like a total weeble. Ugh. Photos from hols SO unattractive :(

No work project here but add to that fill the freezer with post-birth meals & redecorate the house :(

darcies I'd love to be that brave but DS arrived at 35+5 so I don't dare! We've asked my mum to have DS for a day at the start of October and we're hoping to get it all done in one go. Anything we don't get we'll finish online, I don't think I can handle waddling around in December doing the shopping when it's busy

mopsy that sounds like a great idea if you've got a big family. We're not spending as much this year, we just can't afford it with baby being due at Christmas, hopefully everyone will understand. Christmas presents are just so expensive, I feel tight spending £10 each on nieces and nephews but it's still £50 before we even think about presents for DS or anyone else.

Will anyone be buying their baby anything? I don't want to leave anything until the last minute, and I dont want to not get her anything at all but she might not even be here as I'm due on the 20th.

Swollen feet (have been unable to wear any of my shoes) since week 12-ish over here! Gran chic wide fitting shoes are my friends.

Tyelperion, sorry to hear you've been feeling so crappy. I cannot imagine how I would've coped working during this pg, so I doff my cap to anyone who has done!
I'm not normally a pain wimp (when I have stuff in the oven, I never normally need gloves to take them out, for example), but since being pregnant even carrying a cuppa is making me whince! Gah!

Christmas related speak, DH hasn't made Xmas puddings yet (his only contribution to household cooking for the entire year), must go crack the whip .

Mopsy That is a good idea. thankfully ours isn't that big!

Seven We're not buying the baby anything, its really not going to know anything. The only thing we will buy is a babys first xmas bauble to put on the tree. I put money into an xmas saving club so won't be getting that money till November, so will do it whilst DD is at school and go shopping with my MIL - don't want to venture out doing all that shopping on my own that heavily pregnant.

AWCH at cracking the whip over your xmas puds. We're over the in-laws this year (I invited us) lol.

Love the Christmas bauble idea!

Mopsy DD has one too it has the year on aswell :) hoping I'll find one this yr too.

We're staying at home for Christmas this year, I've told everyone that visitors are very welcome but I'm not leaving the house. Am ordering dinner in, so no cooking for me, but I do want to make Christmas cake...should get a move on so I can feed it properly.

I'm gradually collecting the DD's Christmas presents, and in the spirit of keeping the magic alive for DD1, Santa will be providing a stocking for DD3, list for that so far is massage oil, an amber teething necklace, and a birthstone rattle.

Hi everyone. Sorry that the Manchester baby show was a bit rubbish. I went to the London one 2 years ago and it was really good. Got loads of freebies and loads of essentials really cheaply e.g. changing mat for £5, about 25% of breast pump and a great deal on a travel system. I actually did all my pram research before we went so I had a shortlist I could try out and compare prices. I think most things were about 25% less than on the high street, unless things have changed now.

I am generally feeling HUGE and uncomfortable. I can't believe how big my bump is, people keep commenting on it and I'm paranoid I'm going to get terrible stretchmarks as I managed to avoid them last time but have put more weight on this time - mainly because I'm high risk and not allowed to do very much so i just sit and eat!

I keep getting lots of random pains which freak me out and make me really anxious, I know its just normal pregnancy aches and pains but because DS was 10 weeks early I am hyper paranoid about things going wrong.

When are people starting maternity leave? I have 3 weeks holiday to take so am thinking of leaving work at 34, taking my holiday and then mat leave 3 weeks before due date. Thing is, I have no idea if DD is going to be early or on time and I don't want to miss out on maternity leave like I did last time.

oops, sorry hadn't realised how long this is! Will shut up now :)

Hi mmmmcheese, I'm working til 36 weeks (if all goes well) but my dd2 went 7 days over so I'm sort of counting that as 5 weeks before B-Day.

seven, we have one present for Baby- a squeaky giraffe that DD2 nagged me into getting when we made a rare trip into Mothercare. I'm sure Father Christmas will buy him a few stocking fillers as well (probably a baby flannel and a rattle, nothing swanky!)

I too am in denial about how little we have to go. Denial: it's De Longest River in Egypt, you know.

I'll be 36 weeks when I go on mat leave - effectively 4weeks till d-day but as DD was born at 39 weeks hopefully it will be between 2 & 3 week for d-day. already booked I. for my 39 week reflexology session incase nothing has happened before then

DD has gone to bed ready for first day back at school tomorrow YAY! she's been asking every day for 2 weeks when can I go back to school!

Wedding plans will be starting to think about one, going to a wedding fair next month at the hotel we are having our wedding at - so will get to see the room we will be in all dressed up, and obviously get some ideas at the same time hehe. all exciting stuff. MUST make an appointment with the registrar.

M and P kept their price match promise and agreed free delivery, but could not be swayed to give an extra 5%. Still a decent saving. Picked up a Moses basket and stand for downstairs, and some soft shoes to match some of the clothes (good for Xmas day!). They also had a christmassy teddy at half price that I thought could be good for the Xmas card - so snapped that up too. :)
I plan to work to week 38. I know that's ambitious, but I want to spend as much as my time off with the baby - and I can work from home when it gets too tough. We'll see. (never done this before - not got a clue! - however I usually feel much better on days when I've got up and out and been busy.)

mmmcheese I'm not working but completely understand how you feel, it's the not knowing isn't it. Do they know why your DS was so early? If I hadn't been signed off sick last time I would have had DS the day after I stopped work.

Well done OiMissus that's a lot of discounts, I am rubbish at that sort of thing.

mmmcheese Did you get a reason for the early labour from last time? I am self employed so need to work as late as possible. I haven't really set a date yet but hoping to last until 39 weeks but it's all pretty much from home especially in the end anyway.

I am going to do my first ever Christmas cake this year, anyone have good recipes they recommend?

Well done OiMissus, I'm the haggler (and hag!) of the family.

Kiddiecare have a sale on atm, so am buying the carseat Britax first Class Plus £15 cheaper than I've seen elsewhere!
Finally got round to doing a 'stock' list of everything we have/need. Just need nappies, hat, socks & sling then we'll be good to go!! Although most of our stuff has been bought & begged on our behalf so we've only spent £99 on baby stuff...so far!

DD1 was 5 weeks early, but I had gone on maternity leave a fortnight before, as I worked in a job with violent teenagers and couldn't do the job properly heavily pregnant. Hope it helps those who are worrying about a 2nd early baby...DD2 was four days early, I felt overdue by then!

It is taking me forever to recover from last weekend, I went to sleep at 9.30pm last night and have still managed to wake up tired. Planned a messy crafty day today with the DDs.

Thanks for the reassurance msbuggy. your crafty day sounds like fun!

The weather is really horrible here, me and DS are going to have a snuggly day playing games and watching DVD's.